


get a grip

by fictionalinfinity



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, BROT3, Crack Treated Seriously, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Identity Reveal, a surprising amount of doors, nino is ladybug temporarily, nino kim & mari being pals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29069346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalinfinity/pseuds/fictionalinfinity
Summary: “Uhh… I don’t think you should be carrying doors this late at night.”Nino curses, so shocked that he loses his grip on the heavy door. If it weren’t for Ladybug’s quick maneuvering, it surely would’ve crushed his foot. He makes a quick mental note to thank her once he’s capable of a more coherent thought.Slowly, he turns around to face the voice which has caught them. Chat Noir stands with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed, a humorous quirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. As his eyes rove over them, Nino can’t help but squirm. He’s like a cat, stalking his prey.“So, what’s going on?”Nino sincerely hopes Kim can keep his mouth shut.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 21
Kudos: 133





	get a grip

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EnigmaticEllipsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnigmaticEllipsis/gifts).



> congrats on reaching lvl 50, elli! i hope i did your prompt justice. it delves into a bit of angst but there are many, many brot3 shenanigans. enjoy! :D

“Uhh… I don’t think you should be carrying doors this late at night.”

Nino curses, so shocked that he loses his grip on the heavy door. If it weren’t for Ladybug’s quick maneuvering, it surely would’ve crushed his foot. He makes a quick mental note to thank her once he’s capable of a more coherent thought.

Slowly, he turns around to face the voice which has caught them. Chat Noir stands with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed, a humorous quirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. As his eyes rove over them, Nino can’t help but squirm. He’s like a cat, stalking his prey.

“So, what’s going on?” 

Nino sincerely hopes Kim can keep his mouth shut. 

-

“Dude, did you see her when she stumbled in there? No way she’s alright,” Kim frowns, gesturing across the hall to the closet door they’d seen Marinette fumble her way into almost fifteen minutes ago. The door hasn’t opened since.

“She’s probably fine, Kim. She’s just hiding from the akuma like the rest of us!”   
  
The words don’t have the punch Nino hoped they would, failing to convince even himself. Kim is right. Marinette hadn’t seemed like herself when she’d rounded the corner, stumbling drunkenly as she clutched at her head. They’d watched her practically fall into the janitor’s closet before the door slammed hard behind her.

Sure, Marinette is clumsy. He has  _ plenty _ of stories from primary school to attest to the fact (there is a particularly funny one involving a moving walkway and a chocolate eclair, but now isn’t the time). Still, the way she’d been acting...

His friend is right to be concerned.

Nino isn’t even aware of the sound of Kim’s heels bouncing quickly against the tile floor until it suddenly comes to a stop. A heavy feeling of  _ wrongness _ settles in the pit of his stomach.

Nino looks up just in time to see Kim nod resolutely, before sprinting across the hall towards Marinette.

“K-Kim, wait!” Nino shouts in surprise, climbing to his feet to stumble after him. They both skid to a stop in front of the door, Nino just a bit too slow as he falls into the door. He rights himself quickly, before turning to Kim. 

“Come on, Nino,” Kim says without hesitation, “let’s get our girl.”

Nino nods, thinking back to the vow they’d made as small children with a vast future ahead of them.

_ No one left behind. _

He puts his hand on the door knob, jiggling it a few times while Nino watches his back for signs of the akuma. When he turns back around, it becomes clear that the door won’t budge. 

“She locked herself in? Where do they keep the keys?”

“I don’t  _ need _ keys,” Kim states confidently. Nino rolls his eyes. 

“Kim, seriously, I’m sure there’s a set around here somewhere-”

A feral cry cuts him off, and all Nino can do is stare in horror as Kim rears back and charges at the door with pure brute force.

And again.

And again.

And again. 

The door jars open, banging loudly against the wall. If the akuma doesn’t already know where Kim and Nino are, they do now. Nino spins around frantically to watch for it, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, but the hall remains blessedly empty.  _ For now. _

They need to move quickly. 

“Bro,” Kim whimpers, nursing a bleeding (and likely, broken) nose.

_ “Bro,” _ Nino echoes, gazing up at his friend in a mixture of shock and awe as black bruises blossom beneath his eyes like a domino mask of his own making. “That was like… the best and worst thing I’ve ever seen… at the same time?”

Kim laughs before cutting off abruptly in a wince. Nino almost pats him sympathetically on the shoulder before realizing that would likely hurt just as bad, if not worse. He settles for a supportive thumbs up. Kim nods in thanks, before turning his attention to the contents of the closet.

It’s not good.

Blood trickles from Marinette’s temple, collecting in an alarmingly large puddle on the tile floor. The contents of the shelving lay scattered on the floor around her like the scene of a janitorial crime, likely knocked off as she searched for something to keep her upright before losing consciousness. 

Nino winces, settling down beside her and lifting her head into his lap. A quiet whimper makes its way past her lips as she instinctively leans into him.

“Crap,” Kim gasps. “Crap crap crap crap. We should’ve come immediately.  _ Crap. _ What do we do?”

“I… I…” Nino looks around the closet for an answer, and it is then that he spots a tiny red and black creature staring right back up at him with thoughtful eyes. “...kwami?”

“Wh-what?” Kim chokes, following his gaze to find the kwami too. Nino’s first instinct is to pretend he hadn’t said anything and hide, but he swallows it down. They were both there during Miracle Queen. They know what they saw. 

“That’s…  _ Ladybug’s _ kwami. Does that mean…?”

“Hello, boys,” the kwami greets, flying from her hiding place to meet them. “My name is Tikki, and I need your help.”

Tikki tells them everything. How their sweet, clumsy friend Marinette is  _ Ladybug, _ and how she was injured in the fight. How she needs one of  _ them _ to put on the earrings and fight the akuma. How they need to save their friend. 

“I’ll do it.”

Nino speaks without hesitation, surprising even himself. Internally, his mind is rattling around in his skull, unable to comprehend the absolute implosion of  _ Marinette is Ladybug is Marinette. _

But right now his friend is hurt, and Nino can help. 

Kim stares flabbergasted, eyes as wide as saucers. He is shocked into action when Tikki flies past his face, a pair of earrings in tow. Nino is suddenly relieved that Alya convinced him to pierce his ears not too long ago. 

“All you need to say is ‘Tikki, spots on.’ I’m sure you know the rest,” Tikki smiles, offering the earrings to him. Nino gulps. It’s as if dating the Ladyblogger has prepared him for this day. He carefully puts the earrings on.

“Good luck, bro,” Kim offers a first bump and a bittersweet smile in parting. Nino smiles and returns the gesture before settling Marinette gently in their friend’s lap and standing up to his full height.

Nino clears his throat and squares his shoulders, attempting to rouse some buried confidence.  _ For Marinette. _ It works better than he expected and with a new vigor, Nino cries: “Tikki… Spots on!”

A wave of bubbly pink magic washes over Nino. The sensation that hits him is different from the one that Wayzz provides. It’s energetic, and full of life. It leaves him feeling charged with electricity, power sparking at his fingertips. He breathes in, and it is like he has never known air before. He gasps out a breath, overwhelmed, but excited. Nino turns, eager to get moving.

Kim stops him before he can.

“Wait, Nino-!” He calls. Nino turns expectantly.

“What’s up?”

“You need a hero name, don’t you? Can’t exactly use Carapace…”

Oh, he hasn’t considered that. Kim is right. If this identity is to remain a secret, Nino will need a new name to call himself. He bites the inside of his cheek anxiously, wondering what to choose.

“Quick, google search for ladybug synonyms or something!” Nino frets.

“On it,” Kim nods succinctly, pulling out his phone and typing away quickly on his phone. “Okay, showing results for… got it! There’s uh… Bloodsucker?”

Nino grimaces. “Nah, I don’t vibe with that. Keep looking.” 

“Louse? Bee?”

“Definitely not, dude.”

“...Bean Beetle?”

A crash outside from rattles the frame of the building, and Nino knows he’s out of time. 

“...that’ll have to do.”

Bean Beetle moves as quickly as he can towards the sound of the crash and finds an eerily-Chat shaped hole in the side of the wall. His eyes follow the trail of rubble until he spots Chat himself strewn across the floor unmoving. Bean Beetle runs to him with a hitch in his breath.

“Chat Noir!” Bean Beetle kneels down beside the hero, shaking his shoulder. Chat coughs as he jolts awake and shakes off a layer of dust. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, “ Chat wheezes, coughing a few more times for good measure. When his lungs seem to have calmed down enough, Bean Beetle extends him a hand up. Chat takes it, heaving himself in a standing position before the red and black spotted hand in his seems to register.

Immediately, the air around Chat changes. His ears press flat against his head and his pupils dilate. If it’s even possible, his hair poofs up like spikes. 

“Who are you? Where’s Ladybug?” Chat Noir hisses.

Bean Beetle reels back, never having been on the receiving end of one of Chat’s feline threats (at least, not any he can remember). “I-I’m Bean Beetle! Tikki sent me!”

Chat hesitates, his hand hovering in the air between them unsurely. “...Tikki?”

“Yes, Tikki, the little red kwami? She asked me to fill in for Ladybug,” Bean Beetle nods succinctly. Chat’s expression remains dubious. “Trust me, bro. As soon as the fight is over, the earrings are coming off. They’re not my style anyway.”

“O-Okay,” Chat stutters, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “Say I believe you. Why isn’t my Ladybug here?”

Bean Beetle hasn’t thought that far ahead, he hasn’t had the time. He ponders sprouting off something believable, but he likes to avoid lying if he can help it. So, he is honest.

“Ladybug was hit by the akuma. She can’t fight.”

Chat’s demeanor changes in an instant once more. Tense mistrust gives way to frantic desperation as he clenches his fists tightly to stop them from shaking. In his eyes there is a sad, lost look.

“She’s  _ hurt?” _

His voice breaks at the word. It’s as if the mere thought of it hurts him too. Bean Beetle wishes he could find a way to help. Slowly, he nods.

At the confirmation, Chat squares his shoulders and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, there is a new found determination in them. 

“Come with me. We’re going to fight that akuma, and we’re going to  _ win.” _

Fighting as a Ladybug isn’t impossible, but it’s not a breeze either. It’s like writing with his non-dominant hand. He can  _ do _ it, but is it pretty? Absolutely not. It’s difficult and rough, and it’ll have to do. Bean Beetle misses the ease of the Turtle Miraculous and the feeling of  _ rightness _ that came along with it.

It ultimately falls to Chat to cataclysm the akumatized object. Meanwhile, Bean Beetle distracts the villain with his lucky charm - a banjo, of all things. The music serves its purpose, grabbing the akuma’s attention so Chat can use his power on the giant mallet in its fist. The purple butterfly rises from the ashes and Bean Beetle sweeps it into his yo-yo to purify it. 

“Not bad for a first fight,” Chat compliments, landing beside him. Bean Beetle flusters, knowing very well that this is not a first. He takes the compliment anyway. 

“Th-thanks! I couldn't have done it without you.”

“No problem,” Chat smiles, before his expression sobers and his shoulders tense. “Now, no offense, but you should cast that cure so we can get those earrings back where they belong.”

“Nah, I get it,” Bean Beetle shrugs. “I’m worried about her too. The cure should fix her up, right?”

Chat nods, his countenance heavy. Bean Beetle doesn’t waste another moment before throwing the banjo into the sky and calling: “Miraculous Bean Beetle!”

The ladybugs wash over everything, taking with them the evidence of the akuma battle. Bean Beetle breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of it.  _ It’s over. _

“I guess Tikki will be taking the earrings back to Ladybug. Will you make sure she knows to tell her that... I’m thinking of her? That... I hope she’s okay?” His voice is fragile, almost as if he’s scared to ask too much or overstep. Bean Beetle is quick to assure him.

“You got it, dude,” Bean Beetle nods, not bothering to address the fact that he will likely be telling it to Ladybug in person. Chat doesn’t need to know he’s discovered her identity.

“Thanks,” Chat smiles appreciatively. “I have to get going but uh… I hope to see you around. Under better circumstances, of course.”

“Me too,” Bean Beetle nods. “See ya!”

With that, they part ways. Bean Beetle detransforms as soon as he is able before making his way to the janitor’s closet where he’d left his friends. Now that the immediate danger is out of the way, he is starting to feel the severity of the truth he hadn’t had time to contemplate earlier.

_ Marinette is Ladybug.  _

Nino can’t help but think about all of the times he’s watched one of his  _ best friends _ get tossed around like a ragdoll. 

The thought makes him feel sick. 

He finds Marinette and Kim pacing the hallway anxiously, neither one of them speaking. When she sees him, Marinette freezes on the spot. Her wide eyes stare into his and Nino realizes what a strange feeling it is to know that she knows. 

Nino is the first to move, gently taking her hand and dropping the earrings into them. “These are yours.”

“Is Chat okay?” Marinette asks quietly as she puts the earrings securely back in her ears. Tikki bursts to life in a ball of red light before silently retreating to her purse.

“Chat’s fine. He told me to tell you that he’s thinking of you and hopes you’re alright.”

Marinette smiles to herself at that, muttering a hushed “Chaton…” which leaves Nino feeling like he’s intruding on a private moment. He recognizes the smile from the many times they’ve discussed Chat Noir at lunch. He hadn't thought much of the fondness then, but now he can’t help but wonder how he didn’t put the pieces together sooner. It’s such a sincere look, only Ladybug could possess it. 

“Does Chat know that…”

Nino shakes his head. “No, he doesn’t. I just told him you were injured.”

Marinette nods somberly. “Good. He’d be crushed if he found out he wasn’t the first to know. I should be the one to break the news to him.”

“I-I’m sorry, Marinette. We didn’t mean to find out, I swear!” Kim promises, his brows furrowed. They can likely understand some of what their friend is feeling, Nino realizes. Both of them remember the sickening feeling of waking up to their secret identities destroyed all too well. But this… this is bigger than that.

“I know you didn’t. It’s… it’s okay. If you hadn’t found out, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened today. Thank you for always looking out for me, boys,” Marinette tries her best to smile. The effort is genuine but tired. 

“We won’t tell anyone,” Nino adds, “although we might be a bit more protective of you now. It’s hard to imagine one of my oldest friends fighting on the front lines of all this.”

“Thanks, Nino,” Marinette reaches over to give his hand a squeeze. “Although you should know that you can’t stop me. Paris needs me.” 

Nino nods his reluctant concession.

“Ooh, we can help sneak you out of class, then! We’ll be like your secret sidekicks, or something. Helping to fight crime from the shadows! Boo-yah!” Kim cheers, pumping his fist into the air.

The three of them burst into a fit of giggles at that before Marinette pulls them in for a hug, her arms wrapping around them both tightly.

“Thank you so, so much,” she whispers.

When they pull away, Nino catches sight of the closet door. 

The closet door which, strangely, is  _ still splintered and bent from Kim’s repeated abuses. _

“The cure didn’t fix the door?” Nino chokes out.

“Nope,” Marinette frowns. “Likely because it was unrelated to the akuma. I’ll have to come back here tonight and replace it before anyone notices.”

“Breaking and entering? I’m in!” Kim smiles.

“...I suppose an extra set of hands couldn’t hurt. Nino?”

“Might as well,” Nino shrugs. Marinette smiles. 

“Meet me outside the school at midnight. I’ll get us inside. There should be a replacement door in the basement, and we can throw this one in the dumpster a few streets over.”

“Sounds good, dude.”

“It’s like we’re your sidekicks already!” Kim coos. 

-

Midnight finds Nino shuffling awkwardly out on the front steps of the school with Kim sitting beside him. Marinette is running a few minutes late, as is her modem operandi.

“It’s cold,” Kim whines, wrapping his jacket even tighter around himself.

“You shouldn't have to wait much longer,” Nino replies like he has an idea of when she’ll arrive. As if. 

They fall back into a tired silence, watching the bakery across the street. A few minutes later, their friend finally emerges. They watch in awe as Ladybug  _ (Marinette) _ throws her yo-yo and zips towards them.

It is such a strange feeling, knowing it is their friend under the mask. Cool, but strange.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ladybug apologizes. “Shall we?”

When they both nod their assent, Ladybug doesn’t hesitate to gather them up in her arms and swing high up into the air, maneuvering her yo-yo to get them over the wall and into the courtyard. It’s all Nino can do not to scream. 

Kim immediately collapses onto all fours, with his hand to his mouth like he’s trying not to hurl. Nino considers joining him, but ultimately doesn’t need to as the vertigo subsides. 

“You… You couldn’t have warned us?” Kim heaves in betrayal, climbing to his feet.

“I asked if you were ready,” Ladybug shrugs nonchalantly, but Nino catches a special glint in her eye. 

Huh, maybe she’d gotten over her shock faster than he anticipated.

“You’re a cruel woman, Ladybug,” Kim whines, laying a hand to his forehead. Ladybug snickers.

“I get the feeling that’s hardly the worst she could’ve done, dude,” Nino ponders. 

“Come on, the basement's this way!”

They follow her lead down the stairs and towards the replacement door. It’s a little strange seeing just how well she knows her way around, but Nino expects that it's a byproduct of fighting akumas daily.

They find a door resting against the wall in the far corner of the basement, just as Ladybug said there would be. Between the two boys and superheroine, transporting it up the stairs and to the janitor’s closet is simple enough. Ladybug calls for her lucky charm - a toolbox full of exactly what they need.

The switch is easy with the magically powered tools’ help. By the time they carry the broken door out of the front of the building, Ladybug has a minute to spare on her timer. 

“Thanks again for your help, guys. It means a lot,” Ladybug smiles as she repositions the door in her arms.

“Of course, dude. We’ve got your back,” Nino replies fondly. As he looks over at her, he realizes it's getting easier and easier to see his childhood friend beneath the mask. 

“We should totally hang out soon,” Kim adds. “You know, like old times! You can tell us all about what it’s like to be Ladybug. Oh! Do you know Chat’s workout routine? It’s killer, I bet.”

Ladybug chuckles at the question. “I’ll ask him tomorrow night at patrol,” she promises.

Before he can comment on that, a pair of boots slap down on the cement behind him. 

“Uhh… I don’t think you should be carrying doors this late at night.”

Nino freezes in shock, almost dropping his side of the door. Ladybug’s reflexes save his foot a painful death when she catches the falling door, but even she seems ruffled as she stares up at her partner with wide eyes. 

“So, what’s going on?” 

A moment later, Ladybug’s earrings beep their final warning just as her transformation falls.

_ Uh oh. _

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for Elli, as a reward for reaching level 50 on the leaderboard of the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord Server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks). If you're interested in a fun place to discuss all things Miraculous Fanworks and earning one of these fics yourself, feel free to join!


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